Latin translation question (Henle)

[Karenciavo]

I working through Henle this summer with some friends.

Henle Exercise 21:

 

Deus terras videt.

I wrote, "God sees the lands," but even as I wrote it I wondered if all the lands could simply be translated as "earth." Sure enough, the answer key has, "God sees the earth." My question is as you are translating will earth always be plural in Latin when you are writing about all the lands of the earth and will it only be singular if you are writing about the planet earth, one of *9* planets in the solar system.

 

Thank you.

[latinteach]

I working through Henle this summer with some friends.

Henle Exercise 21:

 

Deus terras videt.

I wrote, "God sees the lands," but even as I wrote it I wondered if all the lands could simply be translated as "earth." Sure enough, the answer key has, "God sees the earth." My question is as you are translating will earth always be plural in Latin when you are writing about all the lands of the earth and will it only be singular if you are writing about the planet earth, one of *9* planets in the solar system.

 

Thank you.

 

According to the Lewis and Short Latin Dictionary, terra means properly "the the dry land, the earth, opposed to the heavens, the sea, the air, etc.; land, ground soil."

 

Now, despite the fact that one of the author's names is "Short," it's actually a rather large dictionary, expensive and authoritative. Lewis and Short give many citations from authors as to the use of this word, so further on in the definition, we see that Terra (capitalized) referred to the Earth as a goddess and terra (lower case) more specifically to "a land, country, region or territory." "Terrae" (the plural, and here we get to the answer to your question), refers to "the earth, the world" and "hence, also the phrase 'orbis terrarum,' the world, the whole world, all nations."

 

You can do free searches in this dictionary at the Perseus Project, by the way, so no need to go and spend $250 on a new copy, unless you have plenty of space on your bookshelf and extra cash!

 

Greek and Roman Collection at the Perseus Project:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection.jsp?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman

 

C.T. Lewis and Charles Short

A Latin Dictionary

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059

 

The definitions are quite long and detailed, but if you're patient and read closely, it's an outstanding resource.

[Karenciavo]

Thank you.